Here’s where U.S. presidential candidates stand on LGBTQ2S+ rights

Queer and trans rights will be a major issue in the 2024 U.S. presidential election

Over 300 anti-LGBTQ2S+ bills have been introduced this year. This doesn’t mean we should panic

OPINION: While it’s important to watch out for threats, not all threats are created equally. Some of these bills will die a natural death

By Katelyn Burns

Media

10 queer newsletters (that aren’t on Substack)

As writers abandon Substack en masse, here are some queer and trans writers you can now subscribe to guilt-free

By Jude Ellison S. Doyle

Politics

Alberta town to vote on banning Pride flags and rainbow crosswalks

If passed, Westlock would be the first town in Alberta with such a bylaw. The move echoes similar attempts in the U.S. to ban Pride flags in schools and government buildings

By Mel Woods, Oliver Haug

Politics

Poilievre’s concern over press freedom is just dystopian world-building

OPINION: In his false, bifurcated view of reality, queer and trans people are treated as villains

By Dale Smith

Education

Far-right groups turning to ‘lawfare’ tactic to push back against LGBTQ2S+ curriculum

Experts say the tactic is more about intimidation than legal enforceability

By Emma Arkell

Politics

Archaic electoral system disadvantages trans candidates

ANALYSIS: Ohio trans candidate Vanessa Joy’s disqualification is part of a larger systemic problem

By Jude Ellison S. Doyle

Justice

Canada’s prison system is still vastly transphobic

Despite recent changes to Canada’s Human Rights Act, incarcerated trans people in Canada still face violence and discrimination

By Charlotte Sheasby

Censorship

America’s latest LGBTQ2S+ book hysteria hits too close to home

OPINION: Police were called into a Massachusetts middle school library after someone complained about a queer book. The incident brought back memories of my time growing up in the district

By Katelyn Burns

Politics

New Brunswick premier doubling down on anti-trans policies to win next election

ANALYSIS: Blaine Higgs’s open embrace of Christian nationalism should set off alarm bells

By Dale Smith

Media

The media we need to cover 2024’s potential disaster has fallen apart

ANALYSIS: The next year could be disastrous for queer and trans people—and we can no longer rely on the usual outlets to cover it

By Jude Ellison S. Doyle

Human Rights

Looking for progress on LGBTQ+ rights in 2024? Keep an eye on these countries

From Thailand and Namibia to Poland and the U.K., good news is on the horizon for queer and trans folk

By Rob Salerno

Justice

Court rules that ‘groomer’ is a slur, not protected speech

Experts say the precedent means that the queer community will be able to protect themselves from defamation and hateful speech

By Dale Smith

Rainbow Rewind 2023

Righteous Queens and Shady Bitches 2023

An annual tradition returns: the highs and the lows of the past year, personified

By Xtra Staff

Rainbow Rewind 2023

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight

By Xtra Staff

Rainbow Rewind 2023

How the moral panic around ‘parental rights’ in Canada defined 2023

ANALYSIS: The fight to protect trans and gender-diverse kids is far from over

By Dale Smith

Justice

The legal case for teachers defying anti-trans laws

OPINION: A petition calling on teachers to violate Saskatchewan’s anti-trans Parents’ Bill of Rights could help the cause of striking it down

By Charlotte Sheasby

Politics

Canadian Conservative ties to Hungary and Orbán are cause for concern

OPINION: The Danube Institute treated a group of Conservatives to a lavish trip, part of what could be a slippery ideological slope

By Dale Smith